Before the Jellicles
by Misteazer
Summary: Deuteronomy has to find a home for himself, his expecting mate, and friends. He encounters new friends along the way, will he and the others get to safety alive? (PG for character death)
1. Part 1

Subj:**HTML for our story 1**  
  
Before the Jellicles " Help!" Someone cried.  
Deuteronomy looked around. The mess of rubble and debris was huge! Everywhere was debris of all kinds from wood to lace from marble to cloth  
The fire that wiped out the neighborhood was devastating. Many humans left their pets up for dead! Deuteronomy was one of them.  
" Where are you?" He called back to the voice.  
" I'm under a plank of some sort. It's digging into my back. Help me please!" The cat called.  
Deuteronomy rushed over to a plank that struggled to move.  
" Are you here?" Deuteronomy called as he lifted up the plank to reveal a trapped young cat about his age.  
Deuteronomy offered his paw and pulled the cat out.  
They both collapsed when he was free.  
" Oh...thank you so much kind sir!" The cat said gasping for air.  
" No trouble." Deuteronomy replied. " What's your name?"  
" Gus. Gus the theatre cat. And you are?"  
" Deuteronomy."  
" Well now there's a regal name if I ever did hear one!" Gus replied.  
" Theatre cat? You're an actor?"  
Gus smiled, beaming proudly. " Why, yes I am!"  
" Interesting. Do you know if there are any others around that we should help?" Deuteronomy asked.  
" I'm sure there are...My younger friend Jellyorum is under this mess somewhere!" Gus replied.  
" Let's spilt up and see if we can find her."  
Gus nodded and the two young cats began to search the area.  
" Deuteronomy! Help me! She's stuck!" Gus called. He was trying to help a young female out of a ditch.  
Deuteronomy rushed over and helped pull the young queen out of the ditch.  
" Oh thank you Gus. And thank you...um...I don't know your name." The queen said.   
" Deuteronomy."  
" Thank you Deuteronomy." She replied. "I'm Jellyorum."  
" Do you know if anyone else is around?" Gus asked her.  
" Jennyanydots might be around. Help me find her please!"  
"Of course we will." Deuteronomy said.   
They split up, Gus and Jelly went one way, Deuteronomy the other.  
" Jenny! Jenny!" They cried.   
" Jenny! Jennyanydots where are you?" Jelly cried.  
" Help...me..." Cried a small voice.   
" Hey I think I heard someone!" Deuteronomy called to the others.  
"Where are you?" Gus called to the voice.  
" Help...me..." the voice called back. She sounded like she was fading...fast.  
" Hold on!" Jelly called as the three of them began to dig threw the ruble to find the voice.  
As they ran across the debris, Gus stepped on a board.  
" OUCH!" A queen's voice cried.  
"Huh?" Gus said startled at the voice. "Hey I think I found someone else!" Gus lifted up the board just enough so the young female could get out.   
"Jenny! You had me worried sick!" Jelly cried as she rushed over and nuzzled her.  
" I'm okay! Thanks to Gus."  
" Awe...it was nothing really. Say...where's Deuteronomy anyway?"  
"Deuteronomy?" Jenny asked, not recognizing the name.  
" He saved us both." Jelly explained.  
"He probably went off to find that voice." Gus said.  
" Oh yeah forgot about that!" They went off to find the voice.  
  
"Deuteronomy where are you?" Gus called.  
He spotted him moving planks and other bits of debris out from under him.  
Then he pulled a young silver tabby female from her trap.  
Jelly and Jenny both noticed right away that she was pregnant.  
"Oh...thank..." the young queen began.  
" Shh...you need your rest. You've had a tough day. And you don't look well." Jelly stated.  
" I don't feel it either. But thank you very much Deuteronomy."  
" How do you know his name?" Gus asked.  
"We know each other very well." She said with a smile. " I'm Karalon, just call me Kara."  
" Do you know if anyone else is around?" Jenny asked.  
" Jenny, ask your questions later! She needs her rest, and I know where. C'mon!" Jenny and Jelly helped Kara to her feet and lead her off to a secluded area of the neighborhood.  
" I'd better go with her" Deuteronomy said after they left.  
" I'll stay here and search for the others. I'll meet up with all of you later." Gus said.  
"Thank you Gus." Deuteronomy said, and hurried off after the three queens.  
  
It began to rain and the three queens were huddled under a makeshift tent made from wood and cloth.  
" I hope they're all right." Jelly said to Jenny. Kara nodded.  
Deuteronomy had gone off to warn Gus about the storm.  
A clap of thunder and a bolt of lighting startled the queens for a moment until they saw the two familiar figures of Gus and Deuteronomy emerge.  
" Thank Heaviside they're all right." Kara said.  
Gus and Deuteronomy entered the tent and shook themselves off.  
" We couldn't find anyone else." Deuteronomy informed sadly.  
" Well we found a few..." Gus began but was cut off by Deuteronomy jabbing him in the ribs with his elbow. " OW!"  
" Found a few...what?" Jelly urged.  
" Bodies." Gus finished.  
Deuteronomy growled at the comment.   
" Could you identify any of them?" Kara asked. Deuteronomy was silent at first. He took a deep breath and said, " Yes we could."  
He paused and looked at the queen. " Your sister was one of them, as well as you niece...I'm sorry." He said and nuzzled her.  
Jelly, Jenny, and Gus bowed their heads in sorrow for Kara.  
Gus turned away and looked at what had remained of the neighborhood.  
" It's very unlikely that we can stay here any longer. All the humans have gone taking our home with them." Gus sadly.  
" What do we do now?" Jenny asked no one in particular.  
" Gus, could we stay at the theatre?" Jelly asked.  
"Maybe. The theatre's a long way away..."  
" How far Gus?" Deuteronomy asked still holding Kara.  
" Quite a few miles I'm afraid." Gus replied.  
Deuteronomy thought for a minuet.  
" Are there resting places along the way?" Jelly asked to break the silence.  
" Of course! There's Tottenham Court, Victoria's Grove, St James' street, all those sorts of places."  
"Then that's our destination." Deuteronomy said. " We'll head out in the morning."  
The others were silent, but settled down for bed.   
Jenny and Jelly curled up next to each other. Gus stayed close to Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy stayed curled up next to his mate Kara.  
  
The night rainfall had cooled the hot, ash covered ground a lot.  
Gus stuck his head outside and stretched as the others awoke.  
" Good Morning!" Gus said as everyone woke up.  
" Why are you so cheery?" Deuteronomy asked, helping Kara to her feet. " Well someone has to keep the morale up and it might as well be me!" Gus replied.  
The five headed out of the neighborhood and onto the main road that would take them to the theatre. They approached a busy street.  
Deuteronomy stopped, the others did too. Gus came up to him.  
" What's the matter?"  
" Traffic is heavy...it's too dangerous to cross there." Deuteronomy replied.  
" But it'll take us forever to find a way around it!" Gus complained.  
" And we don't have much time." Kara said, rubbing her swollen belly.  
Deuteronomy looked backed at her with worried eyes, then back to Gus, and back to the busy street.  
He paused to think. He knew that to cross the main, busy road was quicker then finding a way around it. But finding a way around it was safer.  
He knew Kara didn't have much time, but he also knew because of the extra weight she carried with her, she wasn't as quick as she once was.  
" Deuteronomy, what are we going to do?" Jelly asked.  
He took a deep breath and went back to Kara and put his paws on her shoulders.  
" If you think you can make it across the street, then that's where we'll go."  
Kara paused a moment. " I can make it."  
"Are you sure?"  
" Yes I'm sure."  
" Then let's go." Deuteronomy led the cats to the busy street.  
Cars and trucks zoomed by both directions.  
A clearing was approaching.   
" Okay, on the count of three run across as fast as you can." Deuteronomy said. " One...two....THREE!"  
The cats scurried across. A truck blew its horn. Jelly and Jenny, being the youngest, were the first to reach the other side. Deuteronomy was next. He turned to wait for Gus and Kara.  
Gus remained with her and she wasn't moving too fast.  
" Gus! KARA! C'mon! Hurry!" Deuteronomy and the queens called.  
The truck got closer. " Kara! Run!" Deuteronomy called.  
" Gus...HURRY!" Jelly cried.  
The truck just barely missed Kara as she ran into Deuteronomy's arms. But where was Gus?  
The traffic seemed to stop.  
Deuteronomy went out to see Gus's body just feet away from where they were.  
" Gus? Gus!" Jelly cried. " Gus, please be okay." Jenny pleaded.  
When everyone gathered around him he sprung up scaring the two queens.  
Deuteronomy laughed. " You're a great actor...you even made them believe you were dead!"  
Gus brushed himself of. " Thank you!"  
" Gus..." A very mad Jelly began.  
" Can we finish this on safer ground?" Gus asked and rushed to the sidewalk and into some brush.  
" Gus come back here I'm not finished with you!" Jelly cried and jumped in after him. Jenny followed her.  
Deuteronomy turned to Kara and put his paws on her stomach.  
She smiled and licked his nose and followed Jenny, Jelly and Gus into the brush.  
  
" See I knew this street was around here!" Gus exclaimed as he turned to go down a long road.  
Deuteronomy and the queens stopped and read the sign: Tottenham Court.  
" Are you sure about this?" Jelly asked. " The street doesn't look very friendly."  
" It's a street Jelly, it doesn't have feelings!" Gus said, joking around.  
" I'm serious Gus! I don't trust it!"  
" Oh, don't be such a fraidy-cat..."  
Jelly hissed.  
" C'mon you two knock it off...Gus said the theatre was close after this street!" Deuteronomy said.  
Gus smiled and nodded.  
The headed down the street. Of what few humans were around, they pretty much ignored the five cats.  
Suddenly a street sweeper came rolling down the street and the cats jumped into an alley.  
" Hey!" Someone cried.  
The five cats had landed in a heap of rubbish.  
"Yuck." Jenny said as she looked at her muck covered paw.  
" This is my alley!" A queen hissed as she emerged from the shadows.  
She seemed about Gus's or even Deuteronomy's age. She was rather attractive too.  
" Sorry, we needed to get away from that street cleaner." Jelly said. " We're trying to get to the theatre." " Yeah that's great..." She paused a moment. " You're not from around here are you?" They shook their heads.  
" No madam we're not." Gus said.  
" Hmmm...well I'm Grizabella. Who might you all be?"  
" I'm Deuteronomy, this is my mate Kara."  
" I'm Gus...Gus the theatre cat that is."  
Grizabella smiled at the two toms.  
" Hmmm...if you're a theatre cat, shouldn't you know that this ISN'T the theatre?" Gus gave her an annoyed look.  
" I said we were TRYING to get there." Jelly said, defending her friend.  
" Trying and failing miserably! After this street you have to go at least another ten blocks and then some to get downtown to where the theatre is!"  
" Oh no." Deuteronomy muttered under his breath.  
" WHAT?!" Jelly, Jenny and Gus cried in unison.  
" I can help if you'd like." Grizabella offered.  
" No thank..." Jelly began, but Deuteronomy clamped her mouth shut with his paw.  
" Actually a little assistance would be helpful. Do you know a short cut?"  
" You're doubting my judgments?" Gus asked, shocked.  
" Well...no, I just want to see what our options are." Deuteronomy replied.  
" After this street take a left, that'll bring you to St James' St. Follow it until you get to the railroad station..."Grizabella was cut off short when a bucket of trash was dumped on them.   
" Yuck." Jenny said again as she flung a piece of wet paper towel off her forehead.  
Jelly dug herself out of the rubbish near Jenny. " Yuck...again." Jelly said, dusting herself off.  
Gus and Deuteronomy were feeling very tense, the storm was brewing up again.  
A clap of thunder roared in the quickly darkening sky.  
" You can stay here for the night if you'd like. There's an extra box over there for you to stay in." Grizabella offered.  
She disappeared behind a wooden crate and dragged out a large cardboard box for the others to rest in.  
" Awe, that's very kind of you but we really should get to the theatre before the skies open up again." Gus said.  
Kara grabbed Deuteronomy's arm. He looked in her eyes, she needed to say no words, and he knew what she needed.  
" Gus I think we'd better take Ms. Grizabella's offer and stay the night. Just until the storm passes." Deuteronomy said and led Kara over to the cardboard box.  
They all got into the box just as the rain began to fall.  
Jelly made a face.  
" What's the matter?" Deuteronomy asked.  
" I don't trust her. She makes me feel uncomfortable." Jelly said.  
" Who, Grizabella?" Deuteronomy asked. Kara squeezed Deuteronomy's paw.  
" Yeah. She thinks only of herself."  
" Nonsense! She offered us this box to sleep in!" Deuteronomy said.  
" Yeah, and she got the sturdy comfortable crate..."  
" That leaks in the rain. A crate isn't built to be waterproof."  
" Neither is a cardboard box! It get flimsy when it's wet!" Jelly replied, annoyed now.  
" It'll do for now."  
Kara squeezed Deuteronomy's paw harder.  
" Kara, you okay?" Deuteronomy asked, worried something might be wrong.  
" Yes, I'm okay." She said shortly and rubbed her belly. " The weight is just getting to me."  
" Can I help?" asked a voice. Grizabella stood outside the box with a blanket and a partially torn pillow.   
" If you think you can." Deuteronomy said, holding Kara's paw.  
" I know I can." Grizabella said and went over to Kara.   
Kara moaned and squirmed. She rubbed her belly.   
" Deuteronomy, I think it's almost time." She said quietly.  
Deuteronomy nuzzled her. Not only to comfort her, but to comfort him as well, he hated seeing his beloved in pain.  
Kara moaned and grasped her tummy.  
For now all they could do was wait.  
  
Being so young, the stress of labor was the last thing Kara needed.  
About two hours later and very little progress, Deuteronomy was becoming more and more nervous.  
The rain fell harder with every contraction, the thunder roared with every yelp of pain, lighting struck closer to the alley with every shot of pain within her.  
The wind picked up and the rain fell harder, still no kittens.  
Complications began to arise.  
" Come on Kara, I know you can do this, you have to push!" Grizabella said.   
Kara tried to catch her breath. " I-I can't...it's too...hard."  
" I know it's hard, please try. If you don't you'll loose them." Grizabella warned.  
Kara tried to push, her weakened body made it hard to.  
" Push!" Grizabella cried. Kara tried, no progress.  
" Push!" Griz ordered. Kara tried again, little progress, more pain, more complications.  
" PUSH!" Griz order. Kara screamed in pain, a kitten was born. Kara fell back, exhausted.  
" Good job." Griz said. " It's a tom."  
Kara smiled weakly. Deuteronomy kissed her, and nuzzled her.  
Then Kara's body began to shake, her breathing was shallow, her body was shutting down.  
" Kara! No!" Deuteronomy cried.  
" Deuteronomy, it's okay. I-I knew this would happen..." She said quietly. She paused to take a violent gasp of air. " Take care of our son."  
" No, I need you." Deuteronomy said, almost in tears now.  
" You'll be a great father...I know you will. Take care of him. Take care of Munkustrap." With that, she fell into his arms, limp. Her body stopped shaking, her shallow breathing stopped, her entire body...stopped.  
  
After Kara's death and the birth of Munkustrap, the sun dried the rain from the ground, and the cats' fur, but couldn't dry Deuteronomy's tears.  
Gus and Grizabella dug a grave for Kara near the alley by a dead flowerbed.  
They laid her to rest that afternoon.  
Deuteronomy didn't know how he would be able to raise his son on his own.   
He never dreamed that something like this would happen.  
" How will he live? He needs his mother." Deuteronomy said.  
" I can help!" Jelly said and went over to Munkustrap. " I can clean him!"   
Deuteronomy sighed but nodded.  
Jelly looked up at Deuteronomy then down at the tiny gray tabby.  
" I can keep him dry and warm at night and play with him during the day." Jenny offered.  
Deuteronomy sighed again and nodded.  
Jenny went over to watch Jelly's carefully licking the tiny tom clean.  
" I can help feed him." A voice from the box's entrance said.  
Deuteronomy turned and saw Grizabella standing there.  
" You can't help him!" Jelly cried.  
" Yeah...you're not his mother." Jenny chimed in.  
" Well neither are you." Grizabella pointed out. The two young queens glared at Grizabella.  
" How would you help?" Gus asked.  
" He's too young to eat solids, and Jelly and Jenny are too young to have him feed off of them. So...maybe with his father's permission..."  
" NO!" Jelly cried. " You're not his mother! He can't feed off of you!"  
" Jelly...hush." Deuteronomy said. Jelly quickly quieted down. Deuteronomy was in a deep thought. " Have you had kittens before?" he asked finally.  
She took a deep breath. " No, but when our mother died, it was my job to feed my younger litter mates..."  
" But you don't have any litter mates here do you?" Jelly said. " How do we know that they didn't die because of you? How do we know that you won't hurt Munkustrap? How do we..."  
" They still live!" Grizabella snapped. " My siblings are still alive. We went our separate ways as we grew older. I kept them alive! And how could you THINK that I would hurt Munkustrap?"  
" What makes you think that we'll let you help him?" Jenny asked just as nastily.  
The queens glared at each other for a long while until Deuteronomy broke the silence.  
" I have to do what's best for him. Kara wanted me to take care of him." Deuteronomy looked up at Grizabella with tears in his eyes. " Kara trusted you with her kitten and her life. So I can trust you with my son's life. You have my permission to feed my son."  
" WHAT!?" Jelly and Jenny cried in unison.  
" But...she..." Jenny began.  
" No Jenny. Hush now." Gus said in her ear.  
Grizabella walked over to the queens, picked up Munkustrap and went over to Deuteronomy. She lay down and Munkustrap found his way to Grizabella.  
Jelly and Jenny went to a corner behind Gus and pouted.  
Gus rolled his eyes at Jenny and Jelly's behavior but watched the tiny kitten feed.  
Deuteronomy kept a close watch on his son while he ate.  
_She wanted me to take care of him. I hope I'm doing that now...I won't let you down Kara.  
_  
The seven cats lived together in the alley for the next few weeks.  
Munkustrap's eyes had opened now and had grown stronger with Grizzabella's milk.  
Jelly and Jenny still didn't trust Grizabella at all.  
Deuteronomy was learning slowly but surely how to be a father.  
He knew how to clean, carry, hold, and care for Munkustrap with Grizabella's help.  
It was time they moved on to the theatre.  
Grizabella would go with them.   
" I still don't trust her." Jelly would say. " She's not his mother."  
Jenny felt the same way.  
" She's helping him survive girls, she really is a good cat." Gus would reply.  
Deuteronomy woke early one morning to see that the sun had just risen and Grizabella was watching it from the step of a rusty fire escape ladder attached to one of the buildings.  
He sighed and walked out in front of her so she could see him.  
" Nice sun rise isn't?" He asked her.  
She looked down at him.  
" Yes, very nice. It's a better view from up here though."  
" May I join you?" Deuteronomy asked.  
Grizabella smiled and nodded.  
" Please do."  
Deuteronomy climbed the steps quickly and sat down next to Grizabella.  
he looked at the sun, slowly rising. He thought of Kara, his one true love, she was his whole world. She was his home, his moon, his sunshine.  
" You miss you a lot don't you?" Grizabella asked.  
" What do you think? I just can't ignore the fact that she is dead. She was my mate, Grizabella. Of course I miss her." He paused, his claws came out and gripped the side of the step. " But I am also angry with her."  
" Why?" Grizabella asked, shocked.  
" Why? Because she left me alone with my son. OUR son! He is all I have left in this world."  
" I dissagree." Grizabella said. " I think you have much more than just your son. You have friends and familiy who care about you." She looked at him. "We all love you Deuteronomy." He looked up and into Grizabella's eyes. She turned away, afraid he would see her desire for him.   
She was a tramp, she flirted a lot, but this was different. He was a kind loving tom from the depths of his soul. Not like those other toms on the street.  
Deuteronomy heard Munkustrap's tiny cry. Both cats turned around.  
" Sounds like he's hungry. Would you like me to feed him?" Grizabella asked.  
"He is my only son Grizabella. If I loose him then I loose my whole world. I won't loose him to starvation. He will always eat before me. So yes Grizabella, feed my son."  
Grizabella hopped down and went back into the box.  
Munkustrap hurried over to Grizabella, settled down and napped as he suckled.  
" He's a strong one." Gus said.  
Grizabella looked up, a bit startled.  
" I didn't know anyone else was awake. Did I wake you?" Girzabella asked.  
" Nah, Munku did. I'm surprised it didn't wake Jenny and Jelly."  
Grizabella smiled as she watch Munku.  
" He really is a strong one." Gus said again.  
" Who?" Grizabella asked.  
" Like father, like son, Deuteronomy and Munkustrap are both very strong. Munkustrap is strong because he has lived this long without his mother. Deuteronomy is strong because he now has to live the rest of his life without his son's mother." Grizabella became quiet.  
" If I ever have kittens, I wouldn't want them to be alone like this." She said as she licked the top of Munkustrap's head.  
" But you're wrong." Gus said. " He is not alone. He has a loving family who loves him, and friends to protect him. You are among them. How can you say that he is alone?"  
Grizabella was silent for a moment then said: " Growing up, it was the opposite. My father left us, the four of us, alone. So it seems that without a mother, who else is there?  
"I always prayed to the Everlasting Cat that she would be with us forever, but it never came true. She sent us on our own after we were attacked one night by a pack of pollicles. We returned the next day only to find little remains of her body scattered throughout the area. My siblings and myself were left to defend ourselves on the streets.   
"I suppose you are right, I was more alone then he'll ever be." She paused and looked up at Gus. "I'm sorry, you don't need to hear my babbling..."  
He took one of her paws in his. She looked up in his eyes.  
" You were hurt Grizabella, it's been building up inside you ever since you were a kitten. No, you needed to let it out. Better to tell the whole story now then later." Gus said, still holder one paw with one of his paws and rubbing it with his other.  
Munkustrap fell asleep feeding on Grizabella and Gus continued to comfort Grizabella.  
Deuteronomy did not come back inside for a long time.  
  
The streets became busy with activity with buisnesses opening and people walking from place to place.  
The cats said their last respects to Kara, then headed off to the theatre.  
  



	2. Part 2

Subj:**HTML for our story 1**  
  
Before the Jellicles Part 2 Deuteronomy, Gus, Jellyorum, Jennyanydots, Grizabella, and little Munkustrap left the alley and headed off to the theatre.  
They came to a street that read: St James St.  
"Hmmm...this sounds like an interesting street." Gus said as he read the sign.  
"But the street is nothing more than pavement, is can make no noise." Jelly said to Gus mocking what he said about Tottenham Ct.  
Gus returned the comment with a face.  
Jenny smirked.  
Deuteronomy chuckled in his throat. This is the first time he had felt happy since Kara died.  
He looked over to Grizabela who was holding a sleepy Munkustrap in her mouth.  
_My dear son...I only hope you can see me as a good father._ He really had no idea how to be a father, he was thankful that Grizabella was there.  
The others didn't seem to trust her and he didn't know why.  
"Ah ha!" Gus exclaimed as he read a directory. He pointed to a name on the board. "See, I _knew_ the theatre wasn't too far away!" He said proudly.  
"You mean _I_ knew the theatre wasn't too far away!" Grizabella snapped with Munkustrap in her mouth, so her words were slightly muffled.  
Deuteronomy rolled his eyes and sighed.  
"Well which way does it say we go?" Deuteronomy asked.  
"That way." Gus and Grizabella said at once, but pointed in different directions.  
They hadn't noticed that there were two different theatres on the board.  
"Uh oh." Jenny mumbled.  
"Oh no!" Jelly groaned.  
"Um...which way do we go to now?" Deuteronomy asked. Grizabella and Gus looked at each other and then back at the board. "Um..." Grizabella began.  
"Hey, I'm the actor, so I should know which way we go!" Gus said, he was tired and irritated about this whole trip.  
"Really, then if you are as sure as you sound it then we should've been there days ago!" Grizabella snapped, still with Munkustrap in her mouth.  
"Maybe we could ask someone?" Jelly suggested.  
"Good idea." Deuteronomy said. "Let's ask him over there!" He said pointing to a black cat napping by the steps of a little pub.  
He was just slightly overweight, but nothing harmful to him.  
"Um, Excuse me?" Deuteronomy asked the napping cat.  
The cat blinked his eyes open and quickly turned his attention to Deuteronomy and the others.  
"Yes? Can I help you?" the cat asked, and yawned.  
"We're sorry to disturb you, but we're a bit lost." Jelly began to explain.  
"We're not lost Jelly..." Gus began.  
"Yes we are thanks to you!" Grizabella snapped.  
"Hey, will you two quit it?" Jenny asked turning her head to Gus and Griz.  
The cat raised an eyebrow and looked at Deuteronomy.  
"Um, I'm sure I can point you in the right direction. Where are you off to?" The cat asked.  
"Well we were hoping to get to the theatre. But we're not sure which one to go to."  
"I've worked with the theatre before, but I can't seem to find my way back." Gus said sheepishly.  
The cat chuckled a little.  
"Quite alright my friend. Well, the closest one from here is about five miles from here. It's an awefully far way to walk though, try the train if you so wish to get there."  
"I think that would be best." Deuteronomy said back to the others. "Thank you, where would we find the train station?"  
"A little ways down the road that way." He said, and pointed to a street.  
"Thank you very much...um...we never caught your name." Gus said.  
"Bustopher, Bustopher Jones. I'm also just called simply the St James' street cat by the locals!"  
"Thank you Mr Bustopher Jones. We appreciate it!" Deuteronomy said and turned to leave.  
"Wait! What's your name?" Bustopher called.  
"I'm Deuteronomy, father of this little one, Munkustrap." He said ruffling Munkustrap's head fur and taking him in his mouth.  
"I'm Gus the theatre cat. One day when my name's up in lights, you can say: I helped him get there!" He said with a smile and followed Deuteronomy.  
Everyone else followed.   
  
Jellyorum yawned and Jenny moaned.   
"My feet hurt! Can't we rest someplace?"  
"C'mon Deuteronomy, let them rest, they're younger than us. We can carry on longer, but we forget how young they are. And how much younger he is." Gus said lifting Munkustrap's chin.  
Deuteronomy sighed and nodded. "I suppose you are right my friend. Okay, we'll rest."  
They made their way to a dead end abandoned alley. A few old rubish bins and dumpsters with scattered rubish here and there.  
Jellyorum and Jennyanydots curled up with each other in an overturned bin. Gus found a pearch on a rubish bin lid and stayed awake on guard for a while, before her fell asleep.  
Deuteronomy and Munkustrap rested in between the rubish bin where Jelly and Jenny slept and the old dumpster. Deuteronomy dragged a few old ragws and blankets and made a "bed" for his son.  
"I'm hungry. I'll be back later." Grizabella said and strolled off to find food.  
Deuteronomy sighd and placed Munkustrap on the little "bed" that he had made.  
He pawed the "bed" and turned three times before finding a comfortable spot.   
"Comfy my son?" Deuteronomy asked. The little kitten nodded. He hadn't begun to speak yet.  
"Have I told you how proud I am of you, or how much I love you? Well, I'm very proud of you, Munkusrap. And I love you so much my son." He nuzzled him softly.  
Munkustrap looked into his father's eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but of course Deuteronomy knew he wouldn't be able too, not yet anyway. But then miraciously, a sound, words came from the kitten's mouth.  
"Love...you...Daddy." Munkustrap managed to squeak out.  
Deuteronomy was speechless, astonished, but overwhelmed with pride and joy.  
His son's first words were: Love you Daddy.  
Deuteronomy felt his eyes began to water with joy. He broke down and cried tears of joy into his son's fur.   
  
"Hmm...we found the train station, now where?"  
The six cats had made their way to the station, and it was chaos. It was almost tweleve o'clock and the train was ready to go, but it was not moving. "Skimble!"  
"Where is Skimble?" Humans were looking high and low for something, or someone important.  
"Down!" Munkustrap squeaked and squirmed in Grizabella's mouth.  
"Okay, okay." She placed the litten kitten on the ground. "There you go."  
After Munkustrap spoke his first words and Deuteronomy busting with pride, it was surprising but wonderful news, but it was nothing new now.  
Munkustrap swayed a little, finding his feet after being carried for so long, then found his footing and walked over to his father.  
Deuteronomy was watching the chaos and trying to make sense of it all, that he hardly noticed the young kitten by his side, until Munkustrap began to walk off.  
"Munkustrap, come back here!" Deuteronomy cried. The others tried to get him back. People came between Deuteronomy and Munkustrap. Deuteronomy walked up close to his son, but then a human would come between them, and the kit would be farther away.  
The kitten seemed to be on a mission, otherwise he would have returned to his father.  
"Munkustrap! Munkustrap!"  
"Daddy!" A kitten's voice squeaked from near one of the train's vans.  
Deuteronomy was the first to arrive to Munkustrap.  
"Munkustrap!" He gripped his son's shoulders hard and looked him in the eye. "Why didn't you come back?"  
He didn't say a word, but pointed to an orange, yellow tabby cat asleep under the luggage van.  
"Hey, maybe that's who everyone is looking for!" Gus said as the others arrived.  
Deuteronomy breathed a sigh of relief and held his son close.  
Jenny walked up to the sleeping cat and tapped him on the shoulder. The cat sprang to life, startled.   
"Oh, I'm sorry..." Jenny stammered. The cat looked into Jenny's eyes.  
"Awe, it's okay. I have to wake up now anyway. Hey there. Can I help ye?" The yellow striped cat wore a collar with a little bell and a spoke with a Scotish accent.  
"Well, my son here ran off from us and found you. I'm Deuteronomy, this little one is Munkustrap."  
"I'm Jellyorum, the one who woke you up is..."  
"I can speak for myself Jelly. I'm Jenyanydots, or Jenny for short." She smiled at the cat.  
"Pleased I am to make yer aquaintance. They call me Skimbleshanks, the railway cat. But since you are all such nice folks, you can call me Skimble."  
"I'm Asparagus, or just Gus. Gus the Theatre cat that is."  
"Skimble!"  
"Where is Skimble?" The humans were still looking for Skimbleshanks.  
The cat chuckled and opened the door to the luggage van.  
"Do you have a destination? Perhaps I can help ya get there!"  
"We're trying to get to the theatre." Gus explained.  
"Well, the closest one is up north, where we're headed. You're welcome to come aboard!"   
"I guess that's our one way ticket home." Gus said and hopped aboard the train.  
Deuteronomy picked up Munkustrap and followed Gus. Grizabella hopped on next, followed by Jellyorum.   
Skimbleshanks walked away from the van for a moment and gave a flash to the signal and it turned "all clear".  
The passengers rushed aboard the train and the conductor rushed over to Skimble and took him aboard.  
Jenny quickly lept aboard with everyone else.  
The train sped away from the station leaving everything else behind, in the smoke, like the fire did.  
  
Skimble came into the van where the cats were a little while after the train had left the station.  
"Hi Skimble! Where were you?" Jenny asked as he came into the van.  
"I was on my rounds." Skimble explained. "I swear if the humans didn't have me this whole place would fall apart."  
"Really, how so?" Jenny asked.  
"I always give the signal to leave the station, I keep the passengers in line you might say, running erands, the usual."  
"Sounds like fun!" Jenny said.  
"Well, it usually is. But it's my job" Skimble smiled.  
It was a little obvious that Jennyanydots liked Skimbleshanks.  
"So where is the theatre once we reach our destination?" Gus asked.  
"I'll be happy to escort ya there if ya'd like." Skimble offered.  
"Oh, that's very nice of you Skimble..."Jelly began.  
"Yes very nice indeed,"Jenny interupted. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble."  
"No trouble at all dear lady." Skimble smiled.  
Jelly rolled her eyes. Deuteronomy, Grizabella, and Gus chuckled.  
Skimble noticed little Munkustrap between his father's paws, sitting up straight as a board. Regal, proud and tall. The signs told everything, Munkustrap was a born leader.  
"Daddy, where are we going?" Munkustrap asked.  
"We're finding the way to the theatre." Deuteronomy told his son.  
"I've been up that way many times," Skimble began. "and the first time I went up that way, my father told me a story," He turned to Munkustrap. "Would you like to hear it now?"  
Munkustrap nodded.  
Skimble smiled and sat back. He was a young cat, around Jenny's age and he certainly knew a way with kittens.  
"My father told me that up north there is a scared spot where once a year the Everlasting Cat comes to once a year. He will grant one cat a chance to go to the Heaviside Layer and allow him to come back to a new life." Munkustrap's eyes grew wide when he said this.  
"Where is it?" He asked.  
Skimble shook his head. "No one knows. They say it is in a humble and unknown place."  
"Maybe we can find it!" Munkustrap exclaimed.  
Deuteronomy chuckled.  
"Maybe, after we find the theater. Gus said.   
"Aye yes. That would be wonderful to find it. But no one has succeded."  
  
Night fell and the cats prepared for bed.  
Munkustrap curled up between his father's paws. Gus sprawled out next to Jelly and Jenny. Grizabella found a corner close to Deuteronomy and spent the night there.  
Skimble didn't fall asleep. He was still awake on watch. He sat by a small window, watching the stars in the sky as the rest of the world wizzed by.  
Jenny hadn't fallen asleep yet. She had watched Skimble since his night shift began.  
She didn't know why, but she found herself attracted to the young cat.  
She took a deep breath and walked up to Skimble.  
The tom's ears twitched in the direction of Jenny as she approached him.  
He turned to her.  
"I thought you were sleeping. Did I wake ya?" He asked.  
"No, I just couldn't sleep. May I join you?" She asked shyly.  
He smiled. "Of course you can."  
Jenny hopped up and sat next to him.  
She looked up to the stars. They were quiet for a little while then Skimble broke the silence.   
"It's a lovely evening isn't it?"  
"Yes it is." Jenny replied. "That was kind of you to tell that story to Munkustrap."  
"Well...he reminded me much of myself when I was a young lad. Besides, I love kittens. I hope to maybe have kits of my own one day." He looked into Jenny's eyes. They lost themselves in each other's eyes for a moment.  
Jenny suddenly saw a glimpse of a new life ahead.   
Then she blushed and turned away.   
Skimble did the same, with a quiet, nervous laugh.  
They were silent for a moment, then Jenny broke the silence.  
"Is that tale that you told Munkustrap a true one?" Jenny asked.  
Skimble pondered the question for a moment. Then said, "I'm not too sure. My father told it to me when we were going up north for the first time. We always used to go up there."  
"Oh really?"  
"Yes. When my mother gave birth to me, my humans were overjoyed. They were so proud as well as my parents that they took me evrywhere with them. Going up north was an annual event for us. The train always left close to noon. It was my father's job to see the train on their way. He would allow my mother and myself to go on the train first and he would give the signal to leave. My humans never allowed the train to leave without him giving the signal. Anyway, one day my mother became very ill. My humans knew there was a good vet up north. We brought her to the vet and they said there was nothing they could do for her..."  
"Oh Skimble..." Jenny said just above a whisper, a whisper of sympathy.  
He paused a moment, tears forming in his eyes, before going on.  
"The night that she died, my father stayed by her side until the very end. He told me the story because he knew that he didn't want me to be filled with sorrow, but instead try to find a way to move on. Thinking that she may come back in a new life was a good way to move on. My father, myself and my humans laid her to rest not too far from the station. My father was killed some time later and I was left to make sure the station is still in working order." he paused and looked at Jenny. "It gets pretty lonesome."  
Jenny smiled. "You could stay with us...it won't be so lonely then."  
"I'd like that lass." he replied wiping tears from his eyes. Jenny placed a paw on his shoulder as an act of comfort, sympathy, and perhaps love.  
How she wished she could do more for him. _Just a paw on the shoulder...what good is that?_ Jenny thought to herself.  
Skimble looked into Jenny's eyes. How he wished he could touch her, hold her. She was such a pretty little thing.  
Slowly, Skimble gathered his courage and put his arm around her.  
She drew in a breath...that feeling...she never felt such a rush, and he barely touched her!  
She put her arm around him and he rested his head on her shoulder.  
He felt a tear drip down from his eyes to her fur.   
They remained like that for some time. Jenny comforting her new love, Skimbleshanks.  
  
The next day the train pulled into the station bright and early.  
Everyone jumped off the luggage van, while humans grabbed thier bags.  
Skmbleshanks escorted the cats to the theatre which wasn't too far away.  
"The theatre! Hallilujah!" Gus exclaimed.  
"Yay!" Munkustrap cried and ran along with Gus to the theatre door.  
Deuteronomy trotted behind with Jelly and Grizabella.  
Jenny walked behind, paw in paw with Skimbleshanks.  
Jelly glanced behind her shoulder and saw the two together. She stopped and waited for them to catch up to her.  
"Well aren't you too the happy couple?" Jelly said, amused now that she had new gossip.  
Jenny blushed. "Well...I guess so..." She didn't know if Skimlbe would want that.  
"Did you not want to be a couple?" Skimble asked her, confusion in his eyes.  
"No, I do..." She glanced at Jelly and turned so her tail was in her face.  
Jelly rolled her eyes and ran up to Deuteronomy and Grizabella.  
"I want to be Skimble...I wasn't sure if that's what you wanted." She said, looking at the groud.  
Skimble smiled, lifted her chin with a gentle claw and looked into her eyes.  
"Jenny, you are all I want. Of course I want us to be a couple."  
Jenny smiled and blushed a little.  
She moved to him closer, he pulled her to him slowly. She cautiously nuzzled his face, and he nuzzled the top of her head.  
She rested her head on his shoulder and he held her close. She felt him stroke the back of her head fur with a paw.  
_This is all I want._ Jenny thought to herself.  
She closed her eyes and allowed herself to become lost in this wonderful feeling.  
When she did open her eyes, she realized that everyone else was far ahead of them.  
"Uh oh." Jenny said finally.  
"What is it?" Skimble asked, pulling away.  
She pointed ahead where her friends left their tracks.  
"Oh dear." he said and they ran off to catch up with everyone else.  
  



	3. Part 3

  
  
Everyone had found their own home.  
Jennyanydots had been living with Skimbleshanks.  
Jellyorum lived next door to the theatre, where Gus lived.  
Grizabella found a home on a street nearby, coinsidently it was called Totemham Ct.   
Deuteronomy and Munkustrap had found a home with the church, chasing mice away, and spent most of their time on the Vicarage wall, where they could see the rest of the town and could look out for their friends.  
  
Jenyanydots and Skimble had been with each other for a while now, it was just a matter of time, before Skimble asked Jenny to be his mate.  
It was a warm, clear and mild summer night. There were no clouds above to block out the heavenly bodies in the dark night sky. There was very little wind and Skimbleshanks waited ontop of a hill under a big tree over looking town.  
His paws were behind his back, and in one of them was a small blue velvet box. Inside the box was a symbol of his love to Jennyanydots: a white diamond collar.   
The paw holding the box was now clamy with sweat, he had never felt no nervous in his life before this. In fact, ever since he met Jenny, his whole world seemed as if it was new again, like he had never seen it before. The sky was bluer and the sun was warmer. The flowers were always in perfect bloom and life just seemed perfect when she was with him. Now his life would be perfect all the time, if she accepted his proposal.  
Skimbleshanks saw a small figure coming up on side of the hill. He gave a small gasp.  
_It's her! Oh everlasting cat give me strength and pray I don't mess up!_  
He composed himself and gave a warm smile.  
"Hi Skimble, did you want to talk to me?" Jenny asked in her young and lovely tone.  
Skimble secretly put the little blue box in a back pocket in his vest.  
He took both of her paws in his.  
"Yes Jenny, I did want to talk to you...well actually I wanted to ask you something." He could feel his heart racing and sweat coming to his forehead.  
She blinked and asked, "Oh?"  
Skimble took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. They sparkled like the stars above.  
"Jenny, my beautiful Jennyanydots...I wanted to know...um..." He pulled out the little blue box and held it out, lid closed.  
She let out a small, quite gasp.  
"Jennyanydots, will you be my mate?" He fliped open the lid and revealed to her a white leather and diamond collar.  
Tears came to her eyes as she saw a blurred white symbol of his love.  
The collar was the equivelent to a human's engagment ring.  
"Oh Skimble, my precious Skimbleshanks, of course I will!"  
She lept into his arms and kissed him.  
Skimble could feel a smile spread across his face as he held her in his arms.   
They pulled away, but only so Skimble could put the white leather collar around Jennyanydot's neck.  
Then they walked back to their home, paw in paw, now a pair.  
  
  
In the quiet small town, not much had happened, except the announcement of Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots' engagment.  
Every once in a while, the extended "familiy" met in the nearby junkyard.  
Ever since Deuteronomy had been having these strange dreams, he seemed drawn to the old Junkyard.  
He would often sleep ouside in the Vicarage court and if he couldn't sleep, he would jump up ontop of the Vicarage Wall and just watch the moon, until he fell asleep there.  
On warm nights he would allow Munkustrap to join him. Even if the father and son lived in the most protected area in town, Deuteronomy still felt insecure somehow. He didn't know why, but he didn't let that bother him.  


When Deuteronomy dremt, it was usually the same dream. It began with a bright light and he could see himself. He saw himself next to his son and one his other side a golden staircase. He noticed that he was in the junkyard. He would go up the staircase and at the top was a platform. He walked across the platform and after the platform was a staircase going down. When he reached the bottem, he was greeted by many other cats, and there was much rejoicing. He saw himself led the cats back to where his son was....and then he would wake up to either his son pouncing on him, or the screech of the cook chasing a mouse with a broom.  
Deuteronomy sighed whenever this happened/ _Why can't humans just use their heads? She'll never be able to catch that thing with a broom!_ He would lazily stroll into the kitchen and catch the mouse and bring it outside to Munkustrap to play with.  
  
  
Gus, Grizabella and the others were stumped when Deuteronomy told them about the dream, they couldn't figure out what it meant.   
"It feels like The Everlasting Cat wants me to do something in the junkyard. I don't know what it is...but it must be something." Deuteronomy said to his friends.  
"Maybe The Everlasting Cat will come down to earth in the junkyard?" Skimbleshanks suggested. "He wants you to meet him there perhaps?"  
"That may be Skimble, but what about those other cats on the other side of the platform?" Gus asked.  
"True."  
They would contemplate like this for hours on end, until they grew bored of the topic and went about their daily routine.  
  
One night, Deuteronomy had the dream again and this time it was so vivid and real that he awoke from the dream in the middle of the night. He swore he heard The Everlasting Cat call to him.  
_"Come Deuteronomy, Come!_  
Deuteronomy obeyed and was drawn to the junkyard.  
Munkustrap didn't even notice his father had left.  
Deuteronomy followed the sothing voice and went into the junkyard waited.  
_"Sit Deuteronomy, sit near the tire."_  
He sat near the tire.  
Then a light from the starry night sky beamed down and a bright silouette of a catish figure stood in front of Deuteronomy.  
The silouette was not much of a figure, but more of a feeling to Deuteronomy than anything else. The figure wasn't a cat, but more of a being, not any particular form.  
_"Deuteronomy, do you know who I am?"_  
Deuteronomy paused a moment. "I'm not sure."  
_"You have an idea I'm sure. You're probably right. Do you know who I am?"_  
"The-The Everlasting Cat?" Deuteronomy stammered.  
_"Very true. I am your feline God. Why are you so frightened?"_  
"I'm...I'm not, just awestruck I suppose."  
A soft vibrating chuckle was heard.  
_"That usually happens when the great Jellicle Leaders first encounter me."_ Deuteronomy paused a moment, confused.  
"Jellicle Leader? A Leader? What's a jellicle?"  
_"Jellicle, or Jellicle Cat, is a special kind of cat that has specific laws and myths that only a select few have been able to become. A Jellicle cat must have three different names: A name given to them by their humans, a name given to them by their parents a name that never belongs to more than one cat, and a third hidden name, that only that cat himself knows and will never confess. You spend hours on end looking at the moon, I noticed this and decided to make you the jellicle leader. The moon is a trigger that awakens me and brings me to my followers who still believe that I am still here."_  
"Some donnot believe you exsist?" Deuteronomy asked, stunned that anyone could think in such a way.  
_"Some have forgotten. They believe that life is the way it is because of me, sometimes it's good, other times they wish they would die and they blame me. I never want any of my fellow jellicles to believe that a life of love is denied to them. It's up to the jellciel leader to remember that and teach that to their kittens, and their kittens' kittens, and so on."_  
"And you want ME to be this...jellicle leader?"  
_"Yes. I want you, Deuteronomy to be the leader of the Jellicle cats."_  
"Are my friends and my son Jellicles?"  
_"Yes. You can make them Jellicles. I will teach you how. But really anyone can be a jellicle cat, as long as they haven't forgotten. I want you to bring a certain group of cats here to the junkyard and make it their home and make them Jellicle cats. They live on the other side of town and they are all believers and have not forgotten who they are or who I am."_  
Deuteronomy remembered the dream. "That dream I've had lately. Does that have any conection to these cats you speak of?"  
_"Yes. But be careful, the cats may not have forgotten, but they believe that no one else does. They have been exhiled from their homes and forced to live life the way they do. They are almost all of them kittens. They've prayed every night for deliverance from that life and asked to live life the way it was once lived by many other believers."_  
"So, they think that they are the last ones to believe that you exsist? That they think that no one else cares? Is that it?"  
_"Yes. Will you bring my jellicles here?"_  
"Yes. I will bring them here."  
The light grew brighter and encircled Deuteronomy for an instant. It grew brighter and brighter until Deuteronomy couldn't stand the blinding light, he closed his eyes and then the light was gone.  
  
  
"So let me get this straight. You want us to go to a group of complete stangers, bring them here and say that we're all....Jellicles?" Gus was trying to make sense of what his friend just told him about the encounter with The Everlasting Cat and what he was told to do.  
"Yes, we and that other group of cats on the other side of town are also jellicles." Deuteronomy explained.  
"So we have to go to the other side of town, which is very far away, to get a bunch of refugee cats and make them a part of the familiy?" Gus tried to fathem the idea of sharing his life with other cat who were probably exhiled from their homes and were corrupted, mad cats who just wanted the sweet taste of chaos...or maybe even blood!  
"Relax Gus, what's the worse that the situation could be?" Deuteronomy asked.  
Gus paused a moment. "Being captured and taken hostage by these cats and be sacraficed to their evil, felonous god?"  
"That's just it Gus. They still believe in the same god as we do. They're his followers too."  
  
  



End file.
